The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Many people now carry mobile devices with personal listening capabilities (e.g., phone speakers, earbuds or other sound producing actuator) that are tuned for listening within a personal space (<0.5 m; including <1 cm). Within these ranges sound waves can be personalized to an individual user; even when another individual is nearby. However, when users are attending public events (sporting events, concerts, commencements, conferences etc.) the use of personal listening actuators (speakers) competes with the public address system within the personal space. As a result, users typically turn the speakers off.
On the other hand, public address systems generally do not provide ideal listening experiences because the propagation delays associated with sound waves often results in noticeable latency as the compression wave travels through the air. Most noticeable are echoes or reflections resulting from the various non-sound-absorbing construction materials that often accompany these events. Echoes often make the listening experience difficult or impossible. Room acoustics designers typically address echoes by installing expensive sound clouds and other sound-deadening materials. Even with these aids, micro echoes can occur affecting the ambient sounds at frequencies most people's brains are not accustomed to filtering.